MLB Cy Young Odds: 2024 AL & NL Favorites

Starting pitchers might have lost some importance in this new era of baseball, but there is still something special about watching the best pitchers take the mound every handful of days.

In 2023, those pitchers were Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Blake Snell, who is now pitching for the San Francisco Giants after playing for the San Diego Padres last year.

Cole won the American League Cy Young award for his first such honor. Snell became the seventh pitcher to win in both leagues after claiming last year’s National League Cy Young award.

The latest MLB betting odds can help shed insight into who might win this year’s Cy Young awards.

AL Cy Young Odds: Favorites

Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal has been on top of this odds board for much of the year, but he finally started trading at minus odds at the All-Star break.

Skubal was a trendy preseason prediction at 18/1, becoming the most significant liability in this market. And he’s been even better than advertised for a Detroit team that can’t seem to climb higher than fourth in the American League Central.

But that doesn’t detract from how special Skubal is when he takes the mound. His fastball has a lot of velocity. His changeup also generates a lot of whiffs.

So far this season, Skubal is 11-3 with a 2.34 ERA in 20 starts. He has 146 strikeouts and 22 walks across 123 innings of work.

Still, I’m uncomfortable paying his current price tag to win the award. Not when he is a popular name to watch ahead of the trade deadline.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo, MLB’s only nine-pitch pitcher, remains my favorite bet in this market. He leads the AL with 12 wins, posting a 2.38 ERA in 21 starts for a Kansas City team in postseason contention.

Prediction: Seth Lugo (+1000)

NL Cy Young Odds: Favorites

A non-Phillies pitcher has emerged as the betting favorite for the first time since the spring.

I’ve been suggesting to bet on Chris Sale for several weeks now, and he’s finally trading as a +115 favorite. He has helped steady an Atlanta Braves rotation that lost Spencer Strider to a season-ending injury.

In his first season with the Braves, Sale leads the NL with 13 wins and a 2.70 ERA in 18 starts. It’s the first time since 2018 that he’s posted an ERA below 3.00.

Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler appears to be Sale’s most prominent challenger. Wheeler remains one of the more reliable pitchers in the league and is on the best team in baseball.

But watch out for Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes, who has been the biggest riser in this market. He is now +400 to win this award, flashing some of the best stuff in baseball while earning the start in this year’s All-Star Game.

That said, Sale is my pick to win the first Cy Young award of his career.

Prediction: Chris Sale (+115)

MLB Betting Insights: Cy Young

Here are the latest betting insights for the Cy Young markets at the online sportsbook:

AL Cy Young

• Highest Tickets: Tarik Skubal 16.4%
• Highest Handle: Tarik Skubal 19.4%
• Biggest Liability: Tarik Skubal

NL Cy Young

• Highest Tickets: Paul Skenes 14.5%
• Highest Handle: Paul Skenes 20.3%
• Biggest Liability: Paul Skenes

2023 AL Cy Young Voting

2023 NL Cy Young Voting

List of AL & NL Cy Young Winners

*There was only one award for both leagues from 1956-66.

Players With Most Cy Young Awards

Roger Clemens has won the most Cy Young Awards (seven):

Roger Clemens: 7
Randy Johnson: 5
Greg Maddux: 4
Steve Carlton: 4

Teams With Most Cy Young Awards

The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have the most Cy Young Awards (12):

Dodgers: 12
Braves: 7
Mets: 7
Phillies: 7
Red Sox: 7

Has a Rookie Ever Won the Cy Young Award?

Fernando Valenzuela is the only rookie to win the Cy Young.

As a 21-year-old for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, Valenzuela won the NL Cy Young. He was led the MLB in strikeouts and won NL Rookie of the Year in leading the Dodgers to the World Series.